We will clean the church building and grounds on Saturday, April 23 from 1:00PM-4:00PM to get it all ready for Holy Week.

A Note From Our Treasurer-

"An Update for the Parish Regarding Finances"- The Parish Council would like to keep our members updated on our financial situation. A big thank you to those who have made pledges and continue to support the ministry of our church. Each and every donation is essential to the budget.

We are currently behind for the first quarter 2016 – donations are lower than our budgeted expenses.

Please remember that the budget was presented and balanced based upon the monthly pledges. It is essential that those pledges are met monthly for cash flow purposes. The Council appreciates everyone’s time, talents, and tithes. Our Quarterly budget expects $27,183 in income. Our actual income in the 1st Quarter was $23,129.56 which means we have a shortfall of $4056.44. With the shortage, that means we are depleting the balances in the accounts to cover our expenses.

Lent, Fasting and Confessions-

We are fasting from meat, dairy, eggs, oil and wine (wine and oil okay on the weekends). If you have any questions about the fasting guidelines of the Church, ask Fr. Ignatius. Also, remember to make your confessions before Pascha. Fr. Ignatius is available to hear confessions after most services, 10-15 minutes before Liturgy on Sunday, and during office hours on Friday morning. If possible, please do not wait until Holy Week.

New Bookstore Location-

Our bookstore have moved from the room it shared with the library and the older students' Sunday School room, downstairs between the coatroom and the men's bathroom. Check out the books and other items. If there is something you are interested in having us carry, talk to Robert Peterson, our bookstore manager.

Word Magazine-

The Word Magazine is our archdiocese's monthly publication and it is made available, free-of-charge to all members of Antiochian parishes. If you are not receiving this magazine at home and you would like to, please let Fr. Ignatius know.

Plan Ahead for Holy Week and Pascha-

During this holiest time of the church year, we enter deeply into the life, sufferings, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The many services of the Church help us to do this together, as a family. Please look over this schedule and plan to come as you are able. Copies are printed, and available in the narthex to take home.

Holy Friday, April 29- Royal Hours, 9AM; Great Vespers (Taking the Lord Down from the Cross), 3PM; Lamentations, 7PM followed by Psalm-reading vigil overnight

Holy Saturday, April 30- Vesperal Liturgy, 9AM; Rush Service, 11:40PM

Great and Holy Pascha, May 1- Paschal Matins and Liturgy, 12AM followed by feast; Agape Vespers, 12:30PM followed by picnic, 2PM-4PM

Resources for Great Lent-

On our archdiocesan website at http://www.antiochian.org//lent there are plenty of wonderful teaching resources about the season of Great Lent. Read and learn!

Food For Hungry People Program-

Once again this Lent, our Archdiocese is highlighting the Food For Hungry People Program. Collection boxes are available for you to take home and fill up. Put in your loose change during Lent and return the box at Pascha. The three pillars of the season of Lent are fasting, repentance and almsgiving. Let us be generous with those who have much less than us.

On April 24 at 3:00PM in the Shambaugh Auditorium at the Main UI Library, Dr. Nicholas Wolterstorff will present a lecture with the above-mentioned title. For more information, go to: http://geneva-ui.org/

Food for All -- Kalona (an outreach of St. Raphael)-

Please continue praying as additions to the Summer Lunch program take shape and our community outreach increases.

NO KALONA VESPERS during Lent. Also, we are looking for singers who can commit to coming on the first or third Wednesdayof the month. All we need is one at a time, though more are always welcome. The singing is simple (Russian tones), but Bill and I can't carry it.

A retreat for women is being hosted by St. John Chrysostom Orthodox Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana- May 13-15. Information is posted on the bulletin board in the narthex.

Remember Your Departed Loved Ones With Flowers- Would you like to memorialize your departed loved ones with a bouquet of flowers to be placed in the church on the weekend of your choice? Look for the new Memorial sign-up sheet. Decide what weekend you would like your loved one(s) remembered, give $25 to the church, clearly marking it for "Memorial Flowers" and your loved one(s) will be mentioned during the Great Entrance prayers and in the weekly bulletin. If your departed loved ones are Orthodox, and you would like Trisagion Prayers for the Departed to be offered at the end of Liturgy, you can indicate that on the sign-up sheet as well.

Next Sunday's Gospel Reading-

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus who had died was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with Him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, one of His Disciples (he who was to betray Jesus), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the moneybox he used to take what was put into it. Jesus said, “Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of My burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have Me.” When the great crowd of the Jews learned that He was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus also to death, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, “Hosanna! Blessed is He Who cometh in the Name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it; as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” His Disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of Him and had been done to Him. The crowd that had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet Jesus was that they heard He had done this sign. (John 12:1-18)

Pray for our Catechumen- Please keep our catechumen Ilya Buchkin in your prayers as he prepares to be sacramentally joined to the Orthodox Church.

Do You Have a Prayer Request? Please give it to Fr. Ignatius and he will distribute it by email to all those on the Prayer Chain. If you wish to join the Prayer Chain, please let Fr. Ignatius know.

Remember Your Departed Loved Ones With Flowers- Would you like to memorialize your departed loved ones with a bouquet of flowers to be placed in the church on the weekend of your choice? Look for the new Memorial sign-up sheet. Decide what weekend you would like your loved one(s) remembered, give $25 to the church, clearly marking it for "Memorial Flowers" and your loved one(s) will be mentioned during the Great Entrance prayers and in the weekly bulletin. If your departed loved ones are Orthodox, and you would like Trisagion Prayers for the Departed to be offered at the end of Liturgy, you can indicate that on the sign-up sheet as well.

Keep Praying for Kidnapped Orthodox Bishops in Syria- Since April 22, 2013, the Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Metropolitan Paul, and the Syriac Metropolitan of Aleppo, Youhanna, have been in captivity and have not been heard from. Please pray for their well being and release and also pray for their captors as well.

Food for Thought-

Thou didst sever with the sword of abstinence the snares of the soul and the passion of the body, O righteous one. And by the silence of asceticism thou didst choke the sins of thought. And by the stream of thy tears thou didst water the whole wilderness, bringing forth for us the fruits of repentance. Wherefore, we celebrate thy memory.

From vespers of the fifth Sunday of Lent, the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt